An overview of the #KeepItOn coalition, a global network of organisations advocating against internet shutdowns and promoting access to open, secure, and reliable internet for all.
The #KeepItOn movement emerged from a growing global outcry against the frequency and severity of government-imposed internet shutdowns. Spearheaded by Access Now, a leading digital rights organisation, the movement aims to protect the fundamental human right to access information and communicate freely online. Launched at RightsCon Silicon Valley in 2016, Access Now represents over 280 organisations from 105 countries across the globe.
In light of recent events in Bangladesh, the significance of keeping the internet on is particularly profound, serving as a lifeline for millions who rely on it for access to information, social connections, and business operations. However, frequent disruptions ordered by the government, often justified on grounds of national security or public order, pose a serious threat to freedom of speech.
LOOKING BACK AT PAST TRENDS
Bangladesh is not foreign to the use of internet shutdowns as a medium of social order. Reports of internet shutdowns stemming from as far back as 2009 have been legitimised as national security issues needed to ‘dispel’ disinformation. The majority of these shutdown orders are issued amid political events, such as protests or elections, as was the case in 2022 when six shutdown orders were issued due to the elections. Bangladesh was one of the top five nations at the time, using internet outages as ‘weapons of control’, according to a global digital rights watchdog.
THE LATEST DISRUPTIONS IN CONNECTIVITY
During the student uprising against the autocratic government, internet shutdown orders were fuelling up. Initially, various orders were given to stop providing 3G and 4G internet services. As hostilities increased, directives were given to shut down internet service, first 4G, then broadband, across the country on 18 July. The internet outage lasted 11 days, and the forces of autocracy subjected the country to widespread oppression and aggression. Amidst the chaos, misinformation and rumors were used to bundle government-issued directives, shifting the blame from one subordinate to another.
Preventing access to the internet and mobile applications leads to an array of costly and cumbersome consequences, as well as violating fundamental rights to freedom of expression.
THE SHUTDOWN RIPPLE EFFECT
Constant shutdowns disallow debunking false information, reduce productivity, erode trust online, and disrupt connectivity among people. Furthermore, it is extremely detrimental to economic growth as long-term investments and online services, which are heavily dependent on reliable internet connection, face severe disruptions. During the recent internet shutdowns, Bangladesh incurred about USD 8.4 billion in economic losses, according to the president of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association. E-commerce and f-commerce incurred losses every day at a time when even larger companies had already been struggling to maintain investor confidence given high inflation rates, disruptions in production and raw material transportation, and a long-lingering threat of foreign reserve depletion.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE #KEEPITON MOVEMENT
The #KeepItOn coalition actively monitors high-risk elections and works to prevent internet shutdowns by engaging with government officials, private sectors, journalists and individuals to raise awareness and build the capacity for resilience in areas undergoing internet crisis. The coalition uses its Digital Rights Litigators Network (DRLN) to support litigants, and the Shutdown Tracker Optimisation Project (STOP) works with coalition members to record instances of shutdowns. Regular monitoring enables improved impact analysis, which helps the coalition create testimonies and instructional resources while offering digital assistance to its partners. In light of the student protests, the #KeepItOn coalition appealed for open, secure, and unrestricted access to the internet to the chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
PATH TO DIGITAL FREEDOM
The damage inflicted on Bangladesh’s economy is significant and therefore must be tackled in order to ensure a consistent, stable way of life. Citizens have a key role in advocating for digital rights, transparency and accountability in decision-making to prevent the repetition of such events. A better understanding of the impact of internet shutdowns and the challenges civil society faces is much needed to engage in effective advocacy on such a contentious issue.
The #KeepItOn movement, alongside local advocacy efforts, plays a crucial role in shaping the future by pushing back against unwarranted shutdowns and advocating for policies that protect digital freedom. As Bangladesh looks forward, the challenge will be to create a framework that both addresses legitimate security concerns and safeguards the rights of its people to remain connected in an increasingly digital world.
